Spray wand

Abstract

A spray wand includes: a hollow tubular main body; a nozzle mounted on the output end of the main body; and a valve assembly configured to mount the input end of the main body. The valve assembly includes: a housing having an input conduit for coupling the valve assembly with a fluid source; a sealing piston biased within the input conduit toward a sealing position thereof; and a valve core having a column rotatable within the interior space of the housing and a handle extending from the column, the valve core being rotatable between at least one open position corresponding to an open condition of the valve assembly and at least one closed position corresponding to a closed condition of the valve assembly. Upon rotation of the column to at least one open position thereof, the sealing piston biased within the input conduit is pressed from the sealing position.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A spray wand comprising:
 a hollow tubular main body having an input end and an output end;   a nozzle mounted on the output end of the main body; and   a valve assembly configured to mount the input end of the main body, the valve assembly comprising:
 a housing having a interior space and an input conduit for coupling the valve assembly with a fluid source; 
 a sealing piston biased within the input conduit toward a sealing position thereof; and 
 a valve core having a column rotatable within the interior space of the housing and a handle extending from the column, the valve core being rotatable between at least one open position corresponding to an open condition of the valve assembly and at least one closed position corresponding to a closed condition of the valve assembly; 
   
       wherein, upon rotation of the column to at least one open position thereof, the sealing piston biased within the input conduit is pressed from the sealing position and 
       wherein, upon rotation of the column to at least one c on thereof the sealing piston biased within the input conduit is pressed by a contoured section of the column from the sealing position. 
     
     
         2 . The spray wand of  claim 1 , wherein the housing has an input opening from the input conduit to the interior space, wherein the sealing piston comprises a knob received by the input opening and extending toward the contoured section of the column. 
     
     
         3 . The spray wand of  claim 2 , wherein the contoured section of the column comprises:
 at least one recess that aligns with the input opening when the valve core is at the at least one closed position, permitting the sealing piston to reside at the sealing position thereof; and   at least one input channel that aligns with the input opening when the valve core is at the at least one open position.   
     
     
         4 . The spray wand of  claim 3 , wherein the contoured section of the column comprises a cam that aligns with the input opening and presses the sealing piston from the sealing position the when the valve core is at the least one open position. 
     
     
         5 . The spray wand of  claim 4 , wherein the cam bifurcates the at least one input channel. 
     
     
         6 . The spray wand of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the housing has an input opening from the input conduit to the cylindrical interior space; and   the sealing piston comprises a shank and a sealing cap attached to a forward end of the shank, the sealing cap facing the input opening.   
     
     
         7 . The spray wand of  claim 6 , wherein the sealing piston comprise a fluted knob attached to the forward end of the sealing cap. 
     
     
         8 . The spray wand of  claim 7 , wherein the fluted knob has a cruciform profile defined by four external flutes. 
     
     
         9 . The spray wand of  claim 7 , wherein the fluted knob comprises external flutes for source fluid flow along the external flutes from the input conduit into the input opening when the sealing piston biased within the input conduit is pressed from the sealing position. 
     
     
         10 . The spray wand of  claim 6 , wherein the sealing cap has a planar annular forward surface for sealing the input opening. 
     
     
         11 . The spray wand of  claim 6 , wherein the sealing cap has tapered forward surface for sealing the input opening. 
     
     
         12 . The spray wand of  claim 6 , further comprising a helical compression spring mounted on the shank. 
     
     
         13 . The spray wand of  claim 12 , wherein the spring is trapped between the cap and a vented retainer that engages the interior of the input conduit. 
     
     
         14 . The spray wand of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the housing has an input opening from the input conduit to the cylindrical interior space;   the valve core is rotatable at least partially around a rotational axis;   the valve assembly comprises a first stopper pad and a second stopper pad; and   the column comprises:
 a distal portion through which source fluid can enter from the input opening when the sealing piston biased within the input conduit is pressed from the sealing position; 
 a first output channel and a diametrically opposed first recess in which the first stopper is retained; and 
 a second output channel and a diametrically opposed second recess in which the second stopper is retained, 
 wherein the first output channel and second output channel are offset along the rotational axis and directed in opposite radial directions. 
   
     
     
         15 . The spray wand of  claim 1 , further comprising a cartridge assembly comprising a swirl chamber and an elongate container extending along a longitudinal axis, the swirl chamber having a rearward end for engaging a forward end of the valve assembly. 
     
     
         16 . The spray wand of  claim 15 , wherein the swirl chamber includes openings in a rearward side thereof leading into raised projections each having a respective exit window that is radially offset from the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         17 . The spray wand of  claim 16 , wherein the swirl chamber includes a forward extending inner wall that circumferentially surrounds the raised projections and the exit windows to divert source fluid radially and tangentially with respect to the longitudinal axis such that the source fluid flows circumferentially in a tangential swirling manner within the inner wall of the swirl chamber around the longitudinal axis and forward along the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         18 . The spray wand of  claim 15 , wherein the housing has a mix output opening leading to the swirl chamber and a bypass output opening leading to the main body. 
     
     
         19 . The spray wand of  claim 18 , wherein:
 the valve core is rotatable at least partially around a rotational axis;   the valve core has a mix output channel and a bypass output channel;   the bypass output channel is offset from the mix output channel along the rotational axis; and   the mix output channel and the bypass output channel are directed in opposite radial directions to align in alternating order with the respective mix output opening and bypass output opening corresponding to mix and bypass modes of the spray wand as the valve core is rotated.